Title |
Psilocybin with psychological support for treatment-resistant depression: six-month follow-up
|
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Published in |
Psychopharmacology, November 2017
|
DOI | 10.1007/s00213-017-4771-x |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
R. L. Carhart-Harris, M. Bolstridge, C. M. J. Day, J. Rucker, R. Watts, D. E. Erritzoe, M. Kaelen, B. Giribaldi, M. Bloomfield, S. Pilling, J. A. Rickard, B. Forbes, A. Feilding, D. Taylor, H. V. Curran, D. J. Nutt |
Abstract |
Recent clinical trials are reporting marked improvements in mental health outcomes with psychedelic drug-assisted psychotherapy. Here, we report on safety and efficacy outcomes for up to 6 months in an open-label trial of psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression. Twenty patients (six females) with (mostly) severe, unipolar, treatment-resistant major depression received two oral doses of psilocybin (10 and 25 mg, 7 days apart) in a supportive setting. Depressive symptoms were assessed from 1 week to 6 months post-treatment, with the self-rated QIDS-SR16 as the primary outcome measure. Treatment was generally well tolerated. Relative to baseline, marked reductions in depressive symptoms were observed for the first 5 weeks post-treatment (Cohen's d = 2.2 at week 1 and 2.3 at week 5, both p < 0.001); nine and four patients met the criteria for response and remission at week 5. Results remained positive at 3 and 6 months (Cohen's d = 1.5 and 1.4, respectively, both p < 0.001). No patients sought conventional antidepressant treatment within 5 weeks of psilocybin. Reductions in depressive symptoms at 5 weeks were predicted by the quality of the acute psychedelic experience. Although limited conclusions can be drawn about treatment efficacy from open-label trials, tolerability was good, effect sizes large and symptom improvements appeared rapidly after just two psilocybin treatment sessions and remained significant 6 months post-treatment in a treatment-resistant cohort. Psilocybin represents a promising paradigm for unresponsive depression that warrants further research in double-blind randomised control trials. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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United States | 19 | 20% |
United Kingdom | 8 | 9% |
Canada | 6 | 6% |
Portugal | 2 | 2% |
Australia | 2 | 2% |
Mexico | 2 | 2% |
Germany | 2 | 2% |
Sweden | 1 | 1% |
Comoros | 1 | 1% |
Other | 10 | 11% |
Unknown | 40 | 43% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 73 | 78% |
Scientists | 11 | 12% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 6 | 6% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 3 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 1456 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 296 | 20% |
Student > Master | 162 | 11% |
Researcher | 114 | 8% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 91 | 6% |
Unspecified | 67 | 5% |
Other | 193 | 13% |
Unknown | 533 | 37% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 200 | 14% |
Neuroscience | 184 | 13% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 160 | 11% |
Unspecified | 66 | 5% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 60 | 4% |
Other | 208 | 14% |
Unknown | 578 | 40% |